Leeds Philharmonic Society

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 Background
2 History
3 Concerts
4 External link

[edit] Background

The Chorus of the Leeds Philharmonic Society is a leading choir in Europe, where it regularly tours, performing to professional standards with internationally renowned soloists, orchestras and conductors.

The Chorus works closely with Conductor David Hill as its Choral Director and with Mark Hindleyas its Chorus Master.

As well as “home” concerts in Leeds Town Hall, the Chorus has toured and performed in many other prestigious venues including the Royal Albert Hall (London), Bridgewater Hall (Manchester), Symphony Hall, Birmingham, The Sage Gateshead, Franz Liszt Academy of Music(Budapest) and St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna.

Plans are well under way for a tour of Poland in 2009 including the Polish premiere of Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man.

[edit] History

"The Leeds Philharmonic Society is the senior choir in the city by date of foundation and by virtue of its continued and very distinguished programme sustained annually since 1870". Simon Lindley

The Chorus of the Society has over 160 singing members. The concerts which the Society sings in Leeds are promotions of the Society. Often these are promoted jointly with other organisations such as the BBC, Leeds Leisure Services and commercial sponsors. Joint promotions with the BBC are usually broadcast.

In recent years the Leeds Philharmonic Chorus has recorded Stanford's Stabat Mater and Te Deum for Chandos, Walton's Gloria and Belshazzar's Feast for Naxos and The Messiah for CMI Records.

Early in its history the Chorus gave performances of new works conducted by their composers such as Elgar, Parry and Sullivan. More recently, the Society gave the first broadcast performance of Geoffrey Burgon's Requiem and has commissioned works from James Brown, Donald Hunt and Philip Wilby.

Unfamiliar and demanding works have been a frequent feature of the Chorus's programmes and recent performances have been given of Franz Schmidt's The Book with Seven Seals, Rachmaninov's The Bells (with the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra), Adams' Harmonium and Wilby's Bronte Mass (World Premiere).

In 2007 the Society commissioned Philip Wilby to write a "Brontë Mass", which had its world premiere performance on the 24th November 2007 at Leeds Town Hall. The work includes poems by the Brontë sisters and text from Latin Mass.

Having said that, the Society is no stranger to “cross-over” music: it has been a mainstay of the Leeds Opera in the Park and, in 2006/7, took part in a highly successful national tour of The Queen Symphony conducted by the composer, Tolga Kashif.

As well as promoting and co-promoting major performances, the Society also holds open rehearsals and singing days for interested singers to attend.